


Two Spiders on a Web

by CarnaReade



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark and Twisted Childhood, Drama, Gen, Gore, Horror, Oneshot, This entire story is madness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 19:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10837845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnaReade/pseuds/CarnaReade
Summary: In which two spiders co-exist on the same web, sharing the darkness of each other's true nature.





	Two Spiders on a Web

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kuroshitsuji.
> 
> A friend of mine is a fan of Claude from Kuroshitsuji. So here is a oneshot for her and the bespectacled butler.

There are many rules in society. Rules that are meant to be followed and rules that are meant to be broken. These rules apply for the Zaen household – a family that has thrived on conquering international industries to gain control of the world’s economy and change the society from within.

However, just like other families, there was always bad blood between the relatives. Not just because of the blood from numerous countries flowing in their veins, but because the members of the Zaen household are known to be competitive, greedy and ruthless.

For the one seat of power to rule everything, they used every method possible – manipulations, assassinations and even brutal violence. Eventually, the numbers dwindled and the Zaen family were reduced to a small few.

Hiding in the shadows, waiting.

 

On a stormy night, a lone child stalked the halls of the Zaen Mansion. She hummed a catchy tune, walking in an energetic rhythm to her destination. The paintings in the dark hallways loomed from both sides, depicting the beauty and horror of their subjects.

“Today is a Friday,” the young child chirped, stopping at the three doors in front of her. “Let’s go for the last one.”

Opening the door on the right, the child pushed it open. Her lips stretched into a bright smile as light streamed into the room.

“Hey, Nobu.”

In the center of the room, a young girl screamed against the gag. Her body struggled against the chains tying her to the bed. A collar was strapped around her neck with a golden nametag bearing the Zaen family’s symbol.

“Aww, have you been waiting long?” The blond haired child closed the door behind her with a grin. “I just finished my lessons for today.”

Approaching the chained up girl, the child stared at the tattered black dress with a cheerful grin. “Your clothes are a little torn up today. I guess we played too hard yesterday.” She turned to the closet. “Oh well, I guess it can last for one more round before we change your clothes again.”

Heading over to the closet, the child opened the two wooden doors and pulled open one of the drawers. “So what should we play with today? Should we have a tea party?”

Nobu froze at the vials of strange liquids in the child’s hands. “The last time I gave you the purple tea, you fell asleep.” The child frowned, putting one vial away. “And the green one made you puke and sick for a week.” She stuffed the second vial back into the cabinet with a scowl. “Maybe I’ll save that for my stupid uncle. He always won’t stop talking during tea time.”

Holding up the red vial, the child eyed it curiously. “This one though. I like it.” She grinned cheekily at Nobu. “It made you act weird around me.” Pocketing the red vial, the child searched through the cabinet. “But not now. I need something more fun. Today has been really stressful and everyone has been bugging me to work non-stop.”

The appearance of a small generator left Nobu shaking.

“Here we go.” The child set the generator down on the ground, turning the crank until the light bulb on top lit up. She smiled widely, lifting a pair of metal clippers connected to the generator via thick wires. “Where do you want me to stick these to, Nobu?”

The chains rattled violently as Nobu struggled, screaming against the gag. Tears leaked out of her eyes as the child approached the bed.

“Stop moving already.” She stuck a clipper onto one of Nobu’s toes and the other onto one of her fingers. Returning to the generator, the child huffed. “Don’t you remember what happens when you don’t listen to me?”

Electricity surged through Nobu’s body, causing her to fall into violent convulsions.

“Hahahahahahaha! You’re like those twitchy frog legs!” The child laughed hysterically, pushing the button repeatedly. “Always jumping in a funny manner whenever I poke them.”

Nobu’s screams grew distorted as her body was electrocuted. The mattress creaked underneath her with each agonising movement. Meanwhile, the child continued laughing.

“That’s what you get for being mean to me,” she sneered. “Nobody likes girls who are so stuck up.”

Once the electricity died down, Nobu’s breathing slowed in harsh pants. Her expression was now weary and weak. At that time, the door creaked open.

“There you are.”

The child turned around to face the tall, bespectacled butler. His amber eyes frowned deeply at the scene.

“What did I tell you about playing after your lessons, Sei.”

The child huffed. “I was bored.”

“That doesn’t mean you should go off on your own to find your playthings.” Glancing at the mess, the butler sighed. “Now I’ll have to change both your clothes and hers.”

“Hey, I’m supposed to be the one who dresses her!” Sei scowled.

“You don’t even have the strength to carry the girl.”

“I sure do!”

The butler adjusted his glasses. “Regardless, we must return to your room first. A young girl like you shouldn’t carry a stench before your dinner.”

Sei sulked. “I can walk myself.”

“Then you should have no problem following me to the second floor.”

Walking towards the door, the butler stopped upon feeling a tug of his tailcoat. His eyes glanced downwards to the sulking child.

“I change my mind.” Sei lifted her gaze with a stubborn scowl. “Claude, carry me.”

“As you wish.” Claude knelt down before Sei, extending both arms towards her. “Your highness.”

 

The towel felt soft on her hair, drying with skill and expertise.

“How do you feel now, your highness?” Claude asked.

“… Better, I guess.”

“Yes,” Claude sniffed the air for a moment and nodded. “The stench is gone at least.”

Sei hummed, waiting for her butler to finish drying her hair.

“Do you have anything in mind for dinner?”

“Mmm… scones.”

“Anything else?”

“Mmm… no.”

Claude sighed. “I’ll make some soup for you at least. It won’t do us any good if you fell sick.”

Sei stared at her reflection with a bored look. “As long as it’s not corn soup.”

“As you wish, your highness.”

While Claude proceeded to comb Sei’s hair, a thought occurred to the young child. “Why did you pick me, Claude?”

“To be my master?”

Sei nodded and Claude placed the comb down. “You were the one who approached me first, did you not? Summoning me to this place because of your wish.”

“But I wasn’t calling for anyone,” Sei replied. “You just appeared in front of me while I was playing outside my house. And then followed me home.”

“You make me sound like some stray you picked up.”

“Aren’t you?” Sei beamed, lifting her head to grin at Claude. He breathed out an exasperated sigh, glancing over to her clothes.

“And you still refuse to wear anything but male clothing?”

Sei jumped out of her chair, spinning around to grin proudly at the butler in her dress shirt and shorts. “Of course.”

He let out another sigh, obviously frustrated at the child’s peculiar nature. “Very well. Allow me to put on your vest and coat.”

While Claude went to retrieve the clothing from the closet, Sei eyed the butler curiously. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

The closet doors creaked open.

“… Do you really want to know?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

He silently picked up the purple vest and black coat, shutting the closet doors.

 

“So why did you agree to become my butler?”

Claude poured Sei a cup of tea, while she reached out for a scone.

“Firstly, your wish intrigued me.”

“Oh, that?”

“Anyone would want the world to themselves, but you wanted to destroy it.” Claude placed the cup of tea onto the saucer. “I was curious as to what kind of hatred would drive you to desire something like that.”

“Nothing much really.” Sei took a bite of her scone. “I was just bored.”

“I had thought it was nothing but a child’s selfish wish, but while serving the Zaen family, everything became clear,” Claude said, scooping up fresh soup and poured it into a bowl. “Your family, your home and this society… They were the breeding grounds for the dark desires of mortals. And eventually…”

He placed the bowl on the table.

“You became the accumulation of everything that would tear this household apart.”

Sei’s reflection on the soup stared back at her blankly.

“Your servants, your friends and even your parents… once you were powerless against the hurt they have caused you, but now-” Claude stretched out his gloved hand, clenching his fingers. “-They are nothing but playthings in your hands. To vent your anger upon when nothing goes your way.”

Claude withdrew his hand, gazing down upon the child quietly eating her scone.

“Normally, mortals would call children like you spoiled. There is no way any human can have their way in this world. Destruction and suffering are intertwined with the darkness that exist in the hearts of mortals.” The amber eyes glowed wine red. “And you are no exception.”

The last of the scones was gone and Sei lifted her eyes to meet Claude’s gaze.

“Even if your wish came true, you won’t go to heaven. As part of our contract, your soul will be mine.” Claude strode towards Sei. “You will become a part of me.”

His thumb reached out and brushed the tiny crumbs stuck on the corner of her lips.

“With that in mind, will you still continue this path?” Claude asked.

Her eyes met Claude’s with an unwavering look.

“Yes.”

“As expected of your highness.” A brief smile appeared on Claude’s lips, disappearing in a heartbeat as his hand withdrew from Sei’s chin. She stared at him curiously.

“Then what’s the other reason?”

He paused for a moment, then replied, “You reminded me of someone.”

“Who?”

“My previous master.”

The sudden mention of another human stirred Sei’s interest and she tilted her head to the side. “What’s he like?”

“Troublesome.”

She laughed.

“He was arrogant, cruel and entirely unpredictable,” Claude continued. “But he met an unfortunate end.”

“So you picked me because you missed him?”

“No.”

Sei paused while drinking her tea, noticing Claude’s eyes on her again.

“I simply believe you would be able to achieve what he could not.”

She placed her cup down. “And what’s that?”

He refilled the tea cup with little effort.

“Perfection.”

The word slid out as smooth as the finest silk, devoid of emotion but alluring to the senses. Yet, Sei could not help but feel nothing but rather disturbed.

“You’re weird,” she admitted uneasily.

“So are you,” Claude retorted calmly, putting the teapot on a metal trolley. “If you have time to talk, then finish up your dinner.”

Just then, the phone rang. In a few brisk steps, Claude was in front of the phone.

“Zaen residence,” he answered. Amber eyes glanced back at Sei, while a gloved hand covered the mouthpiece. “It’s your uncle.”

She shook her head and Claude returned to the phone. “She’s resting after a long schedule. Please call back tomorrow.”

His brows furrowed.

“Yes, unfortunately her parents are still away on their business trip.” He adjusted his glasses, listening patiently to the caller. “Very well, I’ll relay the message to her when she wakes up.”

Placing the phone down, Claude turned to the wary girl. “Your uncle wishes to meet you tomorrow.”

“About what?”

“Most likely about the business shares of the Zaen family’s various companies. Your parents were the major shareholders after all. The sudden transfer of their shares to you had surprised many of your relatives.”

Sei frowned, drinking her tea. “Will he be coming after me like the rest of them?”

“I won’t be surprised.”

She downed the rest of her tea, smiling to herself. “Then let him come over and prepare the usual.”

Claude raised a brow. “Are you sure, your highness?”

“Yeah,” Sei grinned darkly. “It’s only a tea party after all.”

 

The night closed with the storm ceasing its rage. Claude pulled the covers over the sleeping child, watching her breathe in a relaxed rhythm. His hand reached out to Sei’s head, brushing the stray locks of gold away from her face.

“To think such a tiny mortal would hold so much darkness in her heart,” he remarked softly, allowing his fingers one last caress of her cheek before withdrawing from his sleeping mistress.

The dark hallways of the Zaen mansion now appeared solemn and foreboding. Nothing but shadows lurked on such a quiet night and only the rhythm of the butler’s footsteps lingered in the cold corridors.

Upon reaching the dead end holding three doors, Claude adjusted his gloves and opened the right door. His gaze narrowed at the stench in the room.

“As expected.”

The girl, Nobu, laid on the bed lifelessly. The life that glowed in her eyes were now dimmed and glassy. Pale skin had become cold and charred from the untreated burns, while Nobu’s mouth parted open from the agony that held her to her last breath.

“Once again, she overdid it,” Claude sighed, entering the room and examined the corpse. “She would have last longer if her highness had left her to rest for the day.”

Opening the closet, Claude searched the drawers and took out two large empty sacks and some rope. Setting them down on the floor, he approached the corpse on the bed.

“Honestly, that girl…” The butler’s eyes glowed wine red and thin wires appeared within his grasp. “At the very least, she should learn how to clean up her own mess.”

Slice. Slice. Slice.

The wires cut through the corpse’s face, cleanly slicing off the young girl’s features. Like cutting a slice of fruit, the skin was cleanly separated, revealing raw muscle, blood and bone. Little features like the eyes, nose and mouth were easily removed with surgical precision and tossed into one sack.

“I’ll have to burn these too,” Claude remarked while the wires sliced away the fingers and toes, dropping each of them into bloodied sack. “And this is the fourth one in two weeks.”

The hair had to go too. Along with the scalp. Even the tattered clothes had to be disposed of. There can be no traces linking back to Sei. Or her wish will never come to fruition.

Tying up the first sack, Claude pondered for a moment. “Would it be more efficient to cut her into pieces?”

He adjusted the wires on the mutilated corpse and upon clenching his fist the wires came together, slicing the body up into simple, solid parts. Just like that, the body was nothing but lumps of flesh and bone, easy enough to stuff into the next sack.

“Now that everything is done-” Claude tightened the rope around the second sack. “-I should pick a suitable location to dispose of this.” He pondered again. “Perhaps I could leave this with one of the Zaen family’s competitors?” He shook his head. “No, that would be too obvious. And there is no way I can put this in one of her annoying relative’s homes.”

Then, a thought occurred to him.

“Unless… one of their summer houses?” Claude muttered to himself, lifting up the sacks. “Best to buried it in the garden or the basement then. And plant the evidence just in case.”

Pushing the door open, Claude glanced over his shoulder at the room. “I should clean this up once I get back as well.” He closed the door behind him. “For Sei’s next playmate.”

The butler retreated back to the shadows, preparing for his duties. No doubt that while his mistress rested for the night, he would have to be ensure that the web was prepared for their next prey.

For what else would feed two spiders but the torment of their next victim?

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed reading this story, please feel free to leave a kudo or comment.


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